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The Analysis of Occupational Gender Segregation Over Time and Place: Considerations of Measurement and Some New Evidence

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  • Robert M. Blackburn

    (University of Cambridge)

  • Jennifer Jarman

    (Dalhousie University, Canada)

  • Janet Siltanen

    (University of Edinburgh)

Abstract

Despite the importance of occupational segregation as an area of investigation concerned with understanding women's employment status, pay levels, and promotional prospects during the last 20 years, there has been relatively little attention paid to the problems of trying to measure segregation levels in quantitative data. This paper argues that there are serious measurement problems which it illustrates by showing that two of the principal indices, the widely-used Index of Dissimilarity and the OECD's WE Index are highly flawed and produce unreliable results. It demonstrates the importance of these deficiencies using cross-national data from 9 countries for the period 1970-1982. The paper introduces a new way of analysing the form of these indices in the Basic Segregation Table, which is a 2 x 2 table of gendered occupations by sex. The paper suggests a new approach to measuring occupational segregation which provides more consistent and valid results. This is called Marginal Matching. The paper ends with an analysis of occupational gender segregation in England and Wales from 1951 to 1981. It concludes that, in contrast to research claims to date, the trend in segregation over this period is one of overall stability.

Suggested Citation

  • Robert M. Blackburn & Jennifer Jarman & Janet Siltanen, 1993. "The Analysis of Occupational Gender Segregation Over Time and Place: Considerations of Measurement and Some New Evidence," Work, Employment & Society, British Sociological Association, vol. 7(3), pages 335-362, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:woemps:v:7:y:1993:i:3:p:335-362
    DOI: 10.1177/095001709373001
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Martin Watts, 1992. "How Should Occupational Sex Segregation be Measured?," Work, Employment & Society, British Sociological Association, vol. 6(3), pages 475-487, September.
    2. Zafiris Tzannatos, 1990. "Employment Segregation: Can We Measure It and What Does the Measure Mean?," British Journal of Industrial Relations, London School of Economics, vol. 28(1), pages 105-111, March.
    3. Francine D. Blau & Wallace E. Hendricks, 1979. "Occupational Segregation by Sex: Trends and Prospects," Journal of Human Resources, University of Wisconsin Press, vol. 14(2), pages 197-210.
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    Cited by:

    1. Falk, Susanne, 2002. "Geschlechtsspezifische berufliche Segregation in Ostdeutschland zwischen Persistenz, Verdrängung und Angleichung : ein Vergleich mit Westdeutschland für die Jahre 1991-2000 (Gender-specific occupation," Mitteilungen aus der Arbeitsmarkt- und Berufsforschung, Institut für Arbeitsmarkt- und Berufsforschung (IAB), Nürnberg [Institute for Employment Research, Nuremberg, Germany], vol. 35(1), pages 37-59.
    2. Paola Salardi, 2016. "The Evolution of Gender and Racial Occupational Segregation Across Formal and Non‐Formal Labor Markets in Brazil, 1987 to 2006," Review of Income and Wealth, International Association for Research in Income and Wealth, vol. 62(S1), pages 68-89, August.
    3. Margareta Kreimer, 1995. "Arbeitsmarktsegregation nach dem Geschlecht in Österreich," Wirtschaft und Gesellschaft - WuG, Kammer für Arbeiter und Angestellte für Wien, Abteilung Wirtschaftswissenschaft und Statistik, vol. 21(4), pages 579-608.
    4. Falk, Susanne, 2002. "Geschlechtsspezifische berufliche Segregation in Ostdeutschland zwischen Persistenz, Verdrängung und Angleichung : ein Vergleich mit Westdeutschland für die Jahre 1991-2000 (Gender-specific occupation," Mitteilungen aus der Arbeitsmarkt- und Berufsforschung, Institut für Arbeitsmarkt- und Berufsforschung (IAB), Nürnberg [Institute for Employment Research, Nuremberg, Germany], vol. 35(1), pages 37-59.
    5. Leuze, Kathrin & Helbig, Marcel, 2015. "Why do girls' and boys' gender-(a)typical occupational aspirations differ across countries? How cultural norms and institutional constraints shape young adolescents' occupational preferences," Discussion Papers, Presidential Department P 2015-002, WZB Berlin Social Science Center.
    6. Guinea-Martin, Daniel & Mora, Ricardo & Ruiz-Castillo, Javier, 2016. "Beyond occupation : the evolution of gender segregation over the life course," UC3M Working papers. Economics 23223, Universidad Carlos III de Madrid. Departamento de Economía.

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